by K. L. Ramsey
Sunny never understood Piper’s dating life, or lack thereof. They never really discussed it. She had heard rumors circling around town that Piper was into women. She even heard that Piper and she were dating. She never denied the allegations, and, honestly, Piper’s dating life was no one else’s business but her own.
She knew that Piper had a thing for Tag; she noticed the way she would steal glances at him when she thought that no one was watching. And poor Tag had no problem letting Piper know how he felt about her. Sunny didn’t know of another man on earth that would persist in asking a woman out fifty-two times, only to be turned down time after time. She had to give it to Tag—he knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t going to just give up. Piper needed a man like him, someone who wasn’t going to give up on her when she tried to push him away. Knowing Piper, she would fight a new relationship with everything that she had. Poor Tag didn’t have any clue what he was getting himself into. All Sunny wanted was front row seats and a bucket of popcorn because it was going to be quite a show.
***
“We’re here!” Maddie practically shouted after she parked her car outside the little building that housed the Escape Room.
“Okay, you guys are both acting really strange. What’s going on?” Piper didn’t miss the little smirk on Sunny’s face as she exchanged a look with Maddie. “Seriously guys, I don’t like surprises, so if you are planning something, then I’d like to go home.” Piper started to open the door to the passenger side.
“Pipe, we aren’t planning anything. Stop being such a party pooper and let’s have some fun.” Sunny started to shove Piper in the direction of the front door. Maddie grabbed her hand and pulled her along and all Piper could do was follow. She really needed some new, less pushy friends.
They got through the front door and were greeted by a teenage boy who ushered them back to the room that was reserved for them. Sunny and Maddie insisted that Piper go first into the room. She opened the door to find the small room empty besides a few items that looked like clues, and a massive figure standing in the corner. As the hulking figure turned to face her, Maddie shoved Piper into the room, propelling her straight into Tag’s arms. Sunny shouted something about them having fun and slammed the door behind Piper, sealing her in the tight space with Taggart Harrison. She wasn’t quite sure how it all happened, but she was pretty sure that her friends had managed to surprise her in the worst way possible. Being alone with Tag was the thing she feared most but the one thing she wanted more than anything else for her birthday.
Chapter Four
“What the hell?” Piper spun around to face Tag who seemed confused by the whole scene. “Why am I locked in here with you, Tag?” Piper tried to control her panic, but she could feel it taking over her body. She didn’t want to cry but couldn’t stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks. She really hated surprises and this one was a whopper. How could her friends conspire with Tag to get her on a date?
“Tag, I told you I didn’t want to go on a date with you, so you decided to force me on one?” Tag stood frozen across the small room, doing his best deer-in-the-headlights impersonation. “Just let me out of this room and we can just pretend this never happened.”
Piper’s hands were shaking as she tried to unlock the door. She realized that the only way out was to solve the puzzle, but she was in no condition to solve anything.
“Piper.”
She could feel Tag standing behind her before she turned to look at him, not able to meet his eyes.
“Piper, please look at me.” Tag took her shaking hands into his, trying to calm her, but his touch only made her more emotional. What the hell was wrong with her? She had been careful to avoid Tag as much as possible. Besides his weekly persistent question every Monday morning, Tag mainly left her alone. And, that was just fine with her. She was afraid that if she let herself, she would find it much too easy to fall in love with Taggart Harrison. What girl wouldn’t? He was hot as sin with his black hair and icy blue eyes. He was as big as a mountain, towering over her, but so gentle that she barely felt his touch.
Tag began to run his thumbs over Piper’s hands, like a soothing balm. “Piper, I didn’t plan this. In fact, I thought that you had agreed to meet me. Now, I’m pretty sure that Sunny hijacked your dating app and set this whole thing up.”
It was Piper’s turn to feel confused.
“Sunny set this up? But, how?” Piper found herself leaning into Tag, taking the gentle comfort that he was offering her.
“All I can tell you is that I signed up to a dating app this week. A few hours later, I got a ping that you were on the same app and we were a match. So, I thought I was setting this date up with you. But, it must have been Sunny that I was talking to the whole time. You really had no idea that we were meeting tonight?”
Piper shook her head. “I didn’t even know that you were on the dating app. I signed up to that months ago, to try to prove to my aunt that I wasn’t afraid to go on a date. She kept nagging me about turning you down, so I downloaded the app to shut Lorna up. I didn’t even complete my profile.”
“I see.” He pulled away from Piper, leaving her instantly missing his touch.
“Tag, I didn’t do it to hurt you. I just don’t want to date, anyone.” Piper reached in Tag’s direction but gave up, letting her arms fall to her side. “It really isn’t you, Tag.”
“Let me guess, Piper. It’s you? So typical, you can’t see that we could be good together because you are so busy being wrapped up in your grief. Have you ever considered living a little? You’re missing out on life, Piper.” Tag stood in the corner furthest from her. She got the message, and it hurt.
“Great, now you sound like Sunny.” Piper slapped the door, trying once again to get it to open.
“Maybe Sunny is on to something. She’s your best friend and she obviously thinks we should date, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”
Piper spun on her heal, to face Tag.
“Sunny, my so-called best friend, stole my phone and set up a date that I did not agree to.” Piper made her way to Tag, like a cautious animal approaching a predator.
“Yeah, I got that. Sunny tricked you and you don’t want to be here. Message clearly received.” Tag picked up a clue and read it silently.
“Tag, I really don’t want to play a game right now. Let’s just bang on the door until someone lets us out.” She kicked the door, causing Tag to bark out a laugh.
“You really think that Sunny went to all this trouble and she won’t stop a teenage boy from just letting us out? I’m pretty sure she can handle a sixteen-year-old kid, probably has him convinced that he’s in love with her. He’s not going to let us out anytime soon. Our only way out is to figure out the clues, so the door unlocks.”
Piper gave the door another kick. “Ouch!” She started hopping around the small space, holding her foot.
“I know that you want out of here, Piper, but breaking your foot isn’t the way to do it.” Tag lifted her onto a table that sat in the middle of the room. “Let me see.”
Piper wanted to melt into his touch. It felt good to be in his arms, but she also knew that would put an end to her defenses. She was afraid that Tag was the one person who could tear down her walls and that scared the shit out of her.
“I’m fine,” she whispered. Tag wasn’t buying her lie. He pulled her ankle boot and hot pink sock off to find that her foot was already swelling.
“Damn it, Piper, it’s already bruising.” He spun her around on the table, removing his own jacket to prop up her foot. “Stay put, I’ll try to get us out of here. And then, I’m going to kill Sunny.” Tag flashed Piper one of his rare, shy smiles, causing her to flush.
“You’ll need to get in line. I call first dibs at Sunny. She did steal my phone and trick me into being locked in a room with you.” Piper saw the flash of sadness in Tag’s eyes and regretted her words immediately. “Tag, I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I get it, being here with me isn’
t what you signed up for. Honestly Piper, you are just proving my point for me.” Tag was pretending to busy himself with clues around the room, but Piper could tell that he was only going through the motions.
“What do you mean, I’m proving your point?” She grabbed Tag’s hand as he tried to pass her, effectively stopping him in front of her. Without his jacket, she noticed his tattoo sleeve that circled his lower arm. It was a scene of a forest with snowcapped mountains in the background. It encircled his entire forearm and seemed to perfectly fit who Tag was.
He gently pulled his hand from her grasp, “What I mean, honey, is that you have made your point. It may have taken me an entire year to catch on, but I get it. You’re just not into me. Message received, loud and clear.”
Piper could hear her own breath catch. How could Tag think that she wasn’t into him? Just looking at him made her body react like it never had before. For so long, she’d wanted to just tell him that she’d go out with him, but she was also so afraid. She couldn’t let herself suffer another loss. She wasn’t strong enough. She guarded her heart like a sentry standing watch. She knew her limits and Tag pushed every one of them.
“How can you think that I’m not into you? You own a mirror, right?” Piper felt her own smile, unfortunately, Tag didn’t return her humor.
“This has nothing to do with the way that I look. You have turned me down fifty-two times.” She cringed at Tag’s words. “I like you Piper. I thought that you might like me too, but I guess I was wrong.” Piper could feel her head shaking, denying his words. “You don’t have to deny the truth. I was there every Monday, when I asked you out and you politely smiled and turned me down.”
“You just don’t understand, Tag. I can’t let you in. If you tear down my walls, what will I have left?” She felt her hot tears running down her face and she crudely wiped them with her shirt sleeve. Tag put down the clue that he was working on and moved slowly across the room to where Piper sat.
“Piper, you would have someone who cares about you. You would have a partner, maybe even love. But you will never find out what you could have if you don’t let me in. Just give me a chance, that’s all I’m asking.” Tag wiped away her tears with his thumbs, pulling her in to gently kiss her lips. Piper froze, not knowing what to do next. A part of her wanted to see where this all led but her brain was overloading her emotions.
She pulled away from the kiss, “Tag, I can’t.” He groaned, pulling away from their embrace.
“Okay, Piper. You live in a world filled with fear. But, keep in mind you’re not the only kid to grow up without parents.” Tag started to walk away from her, but she stopped him by grabbing his hand and pulling him back to her.
“Tag, what I meant was that I can’t kiss you. I’m not sure how to—well—kiss. I’ve never really kissed a guy before, unless you count Robbie from my second grade class. He pulled me behind the sliding board and kissed me when we were seven. I didn’t like it, and I told him so. He got mad and told everyone in our class that I didn’t like boys.”
“Huh, I guess that explains the rumors.”
Piper laughed out loud. “Yeah, so you’ve heard that one?”
Tag sat on the table next to Piper and pulled her into his lap. She didn’t protest, she didn’t want to. He was right—she needed to give him a chance. She needed to give life a chance. If she’d known that it would just take being locked in a small room with Tag to give her some clarity, she would have done it long ago. Heck, it would have saved her thousands of dollars in therapy.
“Is it true?” Tag was checking her ankle, and from the look on his face he wasn’t happy with it. “Do you not like boys, or do you just not like me?”
Tag looked into her eyes, holding her gaze. She wanted to look away, to hide from him but she owed him the truth.
“No, it’s not true. I like guys, and Tag, I like you. I’ve just never been this close to a boy before.”
“Man,” Tag corrected, puffing out his chest, making Piper laugh. “Wait, if Robbie was the first boy you kissed, was he the only one?” Tag seemed to be holding his breath, waiting for her answer.
“Yes, he was the only boy I’ve ever kissed. Until tonight, that is.”
Piper watched as her words sank in. Tag seemed to need a minute. She had never really thought about kissing or not kissing anyone. She wasn’t bothered by the rumors going around town. After her parents’ deaths, she never really thought about boys. She just wanted to stay in her little bubble and try to figure out life. Honestly, she felt that she had enough going on without adding a relationship to the mix. That’s probably why she turned Tag down fifty-two times. She liked her predictable little existence. The chaos that Tag would bring into her daily life terrified her.
“Listen, Tag, if this is all too much for you to handle, I understand. My life isn’t normal, I get it.” She started to move from his lap but was stopped by his arms banding around her middle.
“Just give me a minute, Piper.” Tag sat still, holding her so closely she could feel his heart beating. She couldn’t help but lean back into his hard chest, allowing him to pull her in closer. It felt right, to be sitting on Tag’s lap, letting him comfort her.
“So, the rest of it—you know the stuff that comes after the kissing part—have you done that?” Piper smiled up at Tag. The man seriously had a way with words.
“Um, you mean sex?” She squeaked. Tag nodded his head, his blush deepening. “Well, no. I haven’t done any of that. I haven’t even been on a real date yet, unless we are counting tonight.” Piper didn’t want to get her hopes up, but she couldn’t help it. Tonight wasn’t too bad, as far as dates went. She could cross first date off her “to do” list, if Tag was willing to play along.
When Tag didn’t answer, Piper lost hope. “Never mind, Tag. I know tonight isn’t what you had planned. I understand.”
Tag pulled her in tighter, “I didn’t say no, Piper. To me, tonight has always been a date.”
Chapter Five
Tag wasn’t sure what to do about Piper’s admissions. He thought that he was showing up for a date with a willing participant. He never dreamt that Sunny had planned the whole evening to trick them both. When he got free from the room and found Sunny, he didn’t know if he was going to kill her or kiss her. She’d delivered Piper to him and for that he was grateful. The problem was that the woman that he’d wanted for the past year didn’t know what she had been signed up for. And now, Piper was asking him for her first date. God willing, she’d also want her first real kiss with him. What other firsts would she want with him? If he had his way, he’d give her all her firsts and beg her to be her last.
Piper sitting on his lap did strange things to his libido. He knew he was attracted to her but being this close to her made him want to wrap her in his arms and keep her safe from the world. He knew that Piper would fight him every step of the way, but he also knew that she was worth the trouble. He couldn’t help himself—he kissed the top of her head, pulling her tighter into his body. If Piper was willing, he’d work to give her everything she wanted and more. He’d be all of her firsts.
“Piper, when I got your, well, Sunny’s message, I was beyond happy. I had given up on you ever saying yes to me, so I’d joined the stupid dating app and was trying to move on. The truth is, I don’t want to move on. I want you.”
His admission had Piper turning in his arms. She snaked her arms around his neck, straddling his lap. His dick sprang to life, as if it was waking up from a long winter’s hibernation. And, honestly, it was. It had been almost two years since Tag had been with a woman. Once Piper entered his radar, he’d spent most of his time trying to figure out creative ways to ask her out.
The first time he asked her, he brought her flowers and picked up some pastries from Sunny’s bakery. He all but begged her to go out with him, only to have Piper smile and politely decline his offer. He was crushed but determined to change her mind. He did everything from leave her messages spelled out in tiny river rock
outside of her home to sending her video text messages on her cell phone. He ran out of ideas after about the thirtieth time. From then on, he just showed up to her shop every Monday morning and just flat out asked her to go on a date with him. Each and every time he held his breath, hoping that Piper would change her mind and tell him yes. And each and every time, she smiled and politely told him no, followed by a polite “thank-you”.
“Fifty-two is an awful lot of times to be turned down, Piper.” Tag pushed a strand of hair, that escaped her ponytail, back from her face. “I just couldn’t face you telling me no again.” Piper’s eyes filled with unshed tears. Seeing her cry was the last thing he wanted.
“Honey, I’m not telling you this to make you sad. Don’t cry.” Tag caught her falling tear with his thumb, rubbing her soft cheek.
“I’m not crying because I’m sad or upset Tag. I think that, for the first time in a very long while, I am actually happy. It’s been so long since I have done something for myself, I’m not sure what to feel.”
Tag decided to take a chance. “Piper, I want to kiss you. Are you going to let me be your first real kiss?” Piper looked both excited and afraid, all at once. He could see her mind spinning, thinking about the pros and cons of kissing him.
“You’re overthinking this, honey. Yes or no.” Tag waited her out, hoping that she would just give in and go with her feelings.